S.F. 119 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 543B.60B Required disclosure —— 1 advertising agricultural land using corn suitability ratings. 2 1. This section applies to any person advertising a 3 transaction involving real estate using broadcast media, print 4 media, or the internet, if the real estate may be used for 5 the cultivation of a crop as defined in section 202.1. The 6 person shall not refer to the real estate’s corn suitability 7 rating calculated using the methodology recognized by Iowa 8 state university in 2013, unless the person also discloses the 9 real estate’s corn suitability rating calculated using the 10 methodology recognized by Iowa state university prior to 2013. 11 2. Notwithstanding section 543B.48, the commission may 12 impose, assess, and collect a civil penalty of not more than 13 one hundred dollars for a violation of subsection 1. 14 3. This section is repealed on June 30, 2015. 15 EXPLANATION 16 This bill applies to a person who engages in a transaction 17 involving the sale, exchange, purchase, or rental of cropland 18 using broadcast media, print media, or the internet. The bill 19 provides that when a person advertises the cropland’s newest 20 corn suitability rating (CSR2), the person must also state 21 its corn suitability rating (CSR) using the methodology 22 recognized by Iowa state university prior to 2013. CSR was 23 originally developed by Iowa state university (ISU) during 24 the 1970s as an index to rate different types of soils for 25 potential row-crop productivity. ISU is in the process of 26 officially recognizing CSR2, a new version of the index. 27 The commission is authorized to impose a civil penalty of not 28 more than $100 to be assessed against a person who violates the 29 bill’s provisions. 30 The bill’s provisions are repealed on June 30, 2015. 31 -1- LSB 1637XS (7) 85 da/sc 1/ 1